


The Stag's Herd

by IllusionWolf



Category: Elder Scrolls V: Skyrim
Genre: Deer, F/M, I Don't Even Know, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Pregnancy, The White Stag - Freeform, this is just pure crack
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-12-04
Updated: 2016-12-04
Packaged: 2018-09-06 11:39:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,612
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8749219
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IllusionWolf/pseuds/IllusionWolf
Summary: Kalda was one of the best huntresses in Skyrim. And her ultimate prey? The Great White Stag.Unfortunately, her hunt goes wrong, and she finds herself in a situation that no hunter ever even considers...





	

Kalda stepped silently as silently as she could, crouched, almost invisible, in the bushes as she stalked the creature. This damned white stag that she had followed across Skyrim and back, never able to get close enough to it to attack, always just three or four steps behind it. Her skill with a bow was sub-par, and she much preferred to hunt with a dagger. Especially with this kill. The hide alone will get her hundreds, if not thousands of gold. And that’s not counting the antlers. Those cream, velvety antlers that protruded from its head, a prize ready to be claimed. Letting out a long, slow breath, she padded forward again, her enchanted boots muffling the sound of the steps. Her brown gaze was fixed now on the stag as she moved, barely even blinking, afraid to take her gaze from it in case it disappeared from her sight. It was almost beautiful, she concluded, its creamy white fur obvious against the dim light of dawn. It had only ever been a blur before, she had only ever caught a glimpse of it through the bushes and trees. But now, she watched as it grazed happily, ignorant of the predator that slunk through the bushes towards it. Her deep brown eyes glinted as she got within striking range, the adrenaline of the kill to come coursing through her veins, a smirk playing on her lips. Gotcha.  
Springing from her hiding spot, she launched herself onto the deer’s back, her muscular arms wrapping around its neck as she brought her dagger to its throat. It screamed, a pitiful sound, and Kalda almost felt bad. Almost. The creature thrashed underneath her before rearing onto its hind legs, its front legs kicking as she drew blood, its snowy white fur a stark contrast to the splash of blood that poured from the wound. To her horror, she felt the creature lose balance, falling backwards as it flailed its forelegs, screaming wildly. The last thing she felt was her ribs snapping under its weight as the world around her went white, blinding pain shooting from her shattered sternum throughout her whole body. Her life didn’t even have the chance to flash before her eyes, it happened so quickly. The world went black, and she breathed what she was sure would be her last breath.

Kalda’s eyes opened to a somewhat blurry world. She was in the middle of a field of small wildflowers, the smells filling her nose. With a groan, she tried to stand, but felt as if her body was not her own. Looking around, she spotted the white stag, grazing quietly near her, not a single drop of blood on his pelt, nor a scar to show what she had done to him. Raising his head, he looked to her, his soft blue gaze calming her immediately. Stepping closer to her, his dainty white hooves landing softly on the ground, he lowered his head, sniffing at her.  
“Good, you’re awake”  
She blinked, surprised. It could... It could speak?  
“Yes, I can speak, my dear. You followed me throughout Skyrim, yet you know not of what I am?”  
She frowned, confused entirely. She opened my mouth to speak, yet he interrupted once again.  
“I, mortal, am Hircine, The Huntsman of the Princes and the Father of the Manbeasts, and yet, you already know me, do you not, little hound? I felt it in you, the blood of the beasts coursing through your veins. I could not let a child of mine die by my own hands, and so you are here, little hound. Although, may I say, you are no longer a hound.”  
She blinked again, looking up to him. At that, she looked down at herself, shock electrifying her. Her body was no longer that of a human’s, but a... a deer. She looked down at the thin, tan legs, at the lightly spotted flank, the soft, twitching tail. All hers. She looked back to the white stag, standing on wobbly legs. A chuckle ran up his throat as he watched as she attempted to use these legs that she was sure were not hers.  
“I did not allow you to die, little hound, but I could not allow you to live as you were living. Hunting animals just for sport, not even using the creatures you killed. You will live as the hunted now, for one year exactly, until the first moon of Hearthfire.”  
She watched him uneasily, unbelieving of what he had said. He was keeping her alive to... to teach her a lesson? He gazed at her, waiting for an answer.  
“A thank you would be nice” He said, almost softly, almost kindly.  
“Oh, um, thank you?”  
He dipped his head before turning away. She followed close behind, her uneasy steps falling at almost double the rhythm of his long, steady stride. He turned his head to watch as her strides became more confident and steady.  
“So, what now?” She asks, looking to the stag as he plodded along beside her.  
“Well,” he began, looking over to the horizon. She then recognized the area as the vast fieldland just outside of Whiterun. “You could run off, find yourself a herd to stay safe in for the year and wait for it to blow over. Or you could go it alone, and pray that the wolves find you before the hunters. Or, you could stay with me.”  
“I’ll take option C.” She muttered, trotting alongside him. He nodded, then lowered his head, pulling up a mouthful of grass. She put her nose to the ground, sniffing intently. The grass smelled of, well, grass, but the scent was somewhat endearing, and she nibbled at it, her rumbling stomach begging her for more. Soon, her stomach was full and she raised her head, tail wagging involuntarily. He laughed, a low, rumbling sound that echoed through the trees.  
“Well, my dear, we have the entirety of Skyrim to explore, where shall we go?” 

**

Weeks passed, and she was growing more and more comfortable in her new skin. The forests around Falkreath were beautiful, the leaves turning gold and bronze with the changing weather. Stepping carefully through the woods, she wandered away from the white stag, with whom she was more than happy. He had been acting weird the last few days, though, almost avoiding her, and today, he had kept his distance completely. She was entirely unimpressed at this fact, and decided to explore on her own. Looking to her left, she could see his pale pelt through the trees, and, even after calling out to him, he kept his head down, so she turned, flicking her tail and stamping a hind hoof. Her stomach had been a little odd all day, as well, and she felt less than fine. A snapping branch caught her attention, and she froze, head high and ears pricked. A small herd of deer looked back at her, their strong stag staring intently. Relaxing completely, glad it wasn’t a predator, she stepped forward, nose extended in greeting. The stag stepped forward as well, his strong legs carrying him over the uneven ground with ease. He touched his nose to hers, the velvety fur brushing against hers. Huffing out a breath of air, he stepped around her, his nose staying close to her body, sniffing almost carefully. She watched him with curiosity as he walked behind her, his soft nose touching her leg gently. His tongue made contact with her knee, sending a shiver up her spine. She stepped away, but he followed, his nose touching further up her leg this time. Her ears pinned back as she stepped away again, but this time his nose made contact with her tail. She froze, and so he took the opportunity, rising himself to his hind legs and wrapping his forelegs around her hips. She surged forward, kicking back and letting out a loud squeal, but he followed, licking the opening beneath her tail as he did so. A shiver ran up her spine again, some tiny instinct in the back of her mind telling her to stop, to lift her tail and let him in, and so she did. The other stag hesitated briefly, but then rose himself to his hind legs. Before he entered her, however, she heard a loud, bellowing call from the woods, and the white stag surged out of the trees, racing towards the two of them. The other stag dismounted her just in time, lowering his head mere seconds before Hircine’s cream antlers crashed into his own with a sickening crunch. As a human, Kalda had seen stags fight numerous times, but this was completely different. The tension and adrenaline -not to mention the testosterone - was almost tasted as she and the other does watched the fight intently. The other stag put up a fight, but he could not stand a chance against the Daedra, and he was soon racing back to his females, ushering them away from the pair. Kalda turned her head to the white stag.  
“What was that?”  
The stag did not answer, but met her gaze. His breathing was ragged, his pupils dilated almost fully, his usually sky blue eyes seeming black. He strutted up to her, head high, and walked around to her backside, his nose touching just beside where her tail sat. She gasped, feeling his breath on her opening. She wanted to step away, but something in her, some deep rooted want that burned within told her not to, and so she braced her legs, flicking her tail up. The white stag snorted, rearing up onto his hind legs. She felt his breath on her ear as his weight came down on her. He hesitated for a second, almost as if he were reconsidering, but with a flick of her scented tail, he snapped out of it, entering her with a grunt. She cried out, taking a step forward, but he snorted, wrapping his forelegs around her hips, holding her to him. His uneven thrusts became almost pleasurable to her, and soon she was leaning back into him, her head high, his breathing in her ear accompanied with the sensation of being filled building inside her. It did not last long, however, and, with a thrust, he spilled his seed in her, breathing heavily. Her thin legs trembled after holding up the weight of the large stag, and so she dropped to her knees, breathing heavily. After a moment, she stood, spinning to face him.  
“Hircine... explain yourself... Now.”  
The stag looked at her, his pupils still dilated fully. As his breathing calmed, his pupils returned to their normal size, and he gazed at her, shame filling his eyes.  
“Oh, little hound, I apologize. This form sometimes slips away from me, and, when my doe is in heat, there are instincts that kick in. My dear I am so sorry, but I will try to contain it from now on. Normally I would have a number of does, so this need would be sated, but this year, it is just yourself, and I have had no... release.”  
“Just... don’t do it again.”  
He reached out, touching his muzzle to her cheek.  
“Don’t worry, little hound, I -”  
A snapping branch caught their attention, and they both spun, watching curiously as a pair of does stepped daintily into the clearing they stood in. The older one stepped right up to Hircine, touching her nose to his. He welcomed them both, and just like that, their little herd had doubled in size.

**

Winter was supposed to be the difficult months for deer, or so Kalda thought, but their little herd had made their way South, and were now becoming fat from the rich, ever-green plains around Falkreath. She pulled up a mouthful of lush grass, her gaze wandering to the town that lay just below the hill. It was now the middle of First Seed, and Kalda had almost forgotten what it was like to be human. Hircine was the best protector they could wish for - wolves shied away from him, bears and big cats were not lithe enough to catch them, and he could always sense humans before he could see them. Kalda raised herself up onto her hind legs, pulling a mouthful of leaves from a low branch. She stood, chewing happily, almost jumping when the youngest of the other does came up behind her, passing her by to catch a mouthful of her own. Kalda stepped away, giving the doe her space, touching her rounded stomach gently as she passed by. Both of the other does’ stomachs were distended now with pregnancy, as Hircine had not controlled himself as carefully around them as he had around her. It was odd, seeing him change as the does came into heat, watching him become animalistic as their scents changed.  
In the beginning, she had been extremely jealous. Unable to help herself, she would often compromise his self control by flaunting her own heats to him, flicking her scented tail flirtily or grooming him at times when her heat was strongest and just driving him insane. In the back of her mind, something told her that it was ridiculous, that he was not hers to be jealous of, but she couldn’t help herself, the need that accompanied her heat making for a dangerous pairing with her jealousy. Obviously, these actions had their consequences, and now, as she stood, she reached around to scratch an itch on her own round, swollen stomach, a soft movement from the fawn sleeping soundly in her womb catching her attention.

It had been a shock, that was no doubt. She remembered the moments where they had realized it as though it were mere seconds ago.  
She turned her head to look at him, but he was frowning, watching her. She stepped towards him.  
“Hircine?” She asked, and he looked to her, locking eyes for but a second before looking back to her body once again. He took a couple of steps towards her, his velvety nose reaching out to touch her side. She watched him, but didn’t move. He moved around her, eventually pausing at her rear. She felt his breath on her tail, and so raised it, almost inviting him. She must be coming in to heat again - that would explain the odd feeling that had been sitting in her stomach the last number of days. A low noise rumbled up his throat, and so she backed up, assuming that he would want to mount her once again. She heard his footsteps, and then turned to look at him, confusion dancing on her features. If he did not want to mate... Then what...  
“Idiot” She heard from behind her, and so she spun to face him.  
“What? What is it?” She asked, nudging him gently with her nose. He looked her dead in the eye, a mix of emotion on his face.  
“You’re pregnant.”  
She froze, watching him intently.  
“Wh... What?” She stuttered, after a moment.  
He spun, facing her with malice burning in his eyes.  
“You are pregnant, Kalda. I spilled my seed inside you and fertilized you, and now you are swollen with child. I don’t even know if it will be a child. You are a human, turned a deer, and me? Well, I am a monster, a demon. What lays in your womb right now may be any mixture of those things.”  
She gazed at him, unbelieving, before turning her head to look at herself. Sure enough, her sides swelled out, what she had mistaken as good feeding, showing off the fact that she had another being growing inside her womb. She looked back to Hircine, eyes wide.  
“I don’t care what it is.” She concluded, nudging his neck gently. “It is ours, and I will love it, no matter what.”  
The stag turned his gaze, almost ashamed.  
“I... Of course, Kalda, you are correct. I... I just... It was a bit of a shock.”  
She snorted quietly, tossing her head.  
“It was no shock when the other does showed sign of pregnancy.”  
He laughed then, touching her neck lovingly with his nose, then her stomach.  
“Well, this young one will be my favourite.”

Of course, Hircine’s worries had been unfounded - she was progressing in the pregnancy at the same rate as the other does, indicating that it would be a fawn. A small kick from the growing form jolted Kalda from her thoughts, and she smiled to herself. This little one was certainly a strong one, active almost all the time now as she entered the sixth month of the pregnancy. Hircine reminded her almost daily now that her due date was less than two months away, almost excitedly. He was sure that it would be a little doe, but she disagreed, hoping that it would be a young buck, that would grow to become a strong stag like his father. Touching her side lovingly, she ultimately decided that she didn’t care. She had longed for a child in her life before, and, even though these were not ideal circumstances, now she was pregnant, and she would love her offspring with all of her heart.

The older doe, the heaviest into her pregnancy of all of them by at least a number of weeks, came into view, her large stomach swaying with each step she took. Kalda watched her for a moment, mind whirring. The poor female could barely move much faster than a walk, her heavily rounded stomach causing her much difficulty. Hircine had said to her that twins were common with deer, but he thought that this doe was carrying just one, she just happened to conceive much earlier than her and the other. The older doe caught her eye, and she blew out air softly, as a kind of greeting. Kalda dipped her head in response, then lowered her head back down to the ground to graze.

Mere moments later, something came to Kalda’s attention, some muffled, mumbling noise that sounded like... Humans? Human voices? Kalda raised her head eagerly, the sound of human conversation stirring memories in her mind. As she looked, her keen eyes fell on two figures, a tall, broad shouldered man and a shorter, muscular woman. Her eyes widened as memories of the two faces flooded back to her - two of her fellow companions! Farkas and... Aela! A little noise escaped her mouth as she realized who they were, her little hooves carrying her almost involuntarily across the terrain. Farkas spotted her first, tapping Aela’s arm and pointing in her direction. The pair exchanged glances, then looked back, confusion clear on their faces, as this doe approached them. She stopped mere feet away from them, nose extended to them, tail wagging gently.  
“Pregnant.” Farkas muttered gruffly, nodding to her swollen belly as though it were not obvious.  
“It never bothered me before.” Aela answered simply, looking to Farkas with a raised eyebrow. The man sighed, turning to continue up the path. Kalda watched him, confusion on her features, before the sound of stretching elastic caused her heart to fall to the floor. She looked to Aela, only to find herself looking to the tip of a steel arrow head. Kalda took a shocked step back, time seeming to slow around her as fear swallowed her whole body. She made eye contact with the huntress as the woman’s face pulled up into a smirk, her heart stopping in her chest before the arrow was even loosed.  
With a sickening crunch, the woman was whipped to the side, the arrow leaving the bow and skimming Kalda’s shoulder as a deep voice screamed at her to run. The cut from the arrow was not deep, but it stung as she spun, racing as fast as she could back to the clearing with the other does. The pair raised their heads as she approached, both spinning on their heels and following her farther into the forest.  
Kalda ran as long as she could, the added weight of her swollen belly causing her to slow much sooner than she would. She turned to face the other does, the eldest’s heavy stomach heaving at a rate that did not seem healthy. Kalda hoped that does would not birth early due to stress, as this one might just go into labor as she stood.  
They stood, waiting, unsure, for a number of minutes, before rustling bushes and pale pelt told them that Hircine had returned. His antlers were tinted pink with blood, but he was otherwise unharmed. He walked straight up to the does, touching each of the three of them in turn in an attempt to calm them down. He turned to Kalda last, touching her neck, then her belly.  
“What were you thinking, Kalda? Endangering the pair of you like that? Did you not recognize them as your brother and sister? Two hunters? Did you think they would recognize you in this form, that they would welcome you back with open arms and a ‘congratulations’?”  
Kalda stood, silent. His voice trembled as he spoke, his emotions clear behind the words. She couldn’t answer, she just lowered her head to the ground. He sighed, then reached out to her, touching her shoulder gently, lovingly.  
“Never do that again, understood?”

**

Spring was well and truly in bloom, and the little deer herd was about to expand once more. Kalda lowered her heavy body to the ground, her wide stomach settling to the side as she lay down. She had no signs of labor yet, but the eldest doe certainly had. The poor thing was up and down every few minutes, never comfortable, and her stomach was active with muscle movement, her fawn moving through her system now. Kalda watched for a moment, a look of horror and amazement painting her face as a pair of tiny hooves emerged from the doe, who once again lay down to the ground. Deciding to give the poor thing some space, Kalda hauled herself to her hooves, walking slowly and methodically over to the stag, her heavy load swaying with each step. Nipping at his shoulders, she tried to pull him into a grooming session, longing for his touch to calm her worries. He chuckled, pushing her away gently.  
“Not long now, and that will be you.” He said softly, nodding to the doe that was struggling now, pushing with what seemed to be her whole body. Kalda averted her eyes, the fear of her impending birth almost too much to bear. Instead, she looked to the stag, blinking softly.  
“Are you not worried for her? That is your son or daughter that she’s birthing now.”  
Hircine chuckled.  
“I am, of course, but this is not her first, nor will it be her last. She will be more than capable.” He blinked slowly, turning to look at her. “It is my first-time mother that I worry for.”  
Kalda laughed half-heartedly. He touched her shoulder gently.  
“You will be fine, my love. See? The birth doesn’t last long.”  
A soft thud followed by a tiny cry proved his words, and when Kalda looked, the doe was on her feet, her nose to her newborn. Kalda’s heart leaped as she watched the immediate bond between mother and -  
“A daughter.” Hircine confirmed, smiling softly. Moving slowly, carefully, he dropped his nose to the mother, then scenting the fawn briefly, nudging the doe again before moving away, giving the pair their space. Kalda felt her own fawn shift, a soft, fluttering movement in her lower stomach reminding her that the little one was still there. She reached around to touch her side with her nose, rubbing at the spot where the movement had originated. Her heart sank as she moved her nose away. Oh how she longed to touch the bump properly, to run her hands across her stretched skin and tell the little one of her love for them. Instead, she was stuck like this, her only way of feeling her skin by performing some yoga-style stretching to reach.  
Hircine arrived at her side, his gaze locked not to her, but to the younger doe.  
“It looks like you’ll be the last.” He stated, nodding to the doe. “See how her stomach has dropped? She’ll be going into labor within the next day or so, I’d imagine.” He looked to her, his eyes roaming her body. “You haven’t dropped yet, so you might be another week."  
Kalda relaxed visibly, and he chuckled. Stepping forward, he nosed her stomach, using his teeth to groom her pelt gently. She relaxed almost completely into his touch, wanting to moan with the pure delight of it. Maybe all would be alright after all.

**

Her eyes rolled back into her head as the pain ripped through her body. Her contractions had began about an hour ago, but she seemed to be no nearer to giving birth than the day she conceived. She lay flat out on her side, her round stomach heaving as another contraction ran through her.  
“Hooves are out! My little hound, you are doing so well!” A voice told her, seemingly a million miles away. Instinct told her to push, and so she did, straining hard against her own body as she tried in vain to push the fawn’s wide shoulders out.  
“Keep going, my love! Push again!”  
Straining hard, she followed his instruction, feeling a sort of release as the fawn’s shoulders were freed with her push. Standing caused the little one to almost fall out, and so she spun, looking down to her little -  
“Our son.” Hircine breathed, lowering his nose to the young buck who now lay on the ground, trembling as he blinked in the too-bright light. Kalda felt overcome with emotions, the flood of both happiness and relief at his safe arrival causing her to drop to her knees. She licked the fawn’s head, clearing away the fluids from his soft pelt. She looked to Hircine, nothing but love in her eyes, but that was quickly replaced by fear as another contraction ripped through her abdomen. She lay down on her side once again, the urge to push running through her once again.  
In mere moments, mother, son and daughter were standing, the twins ambling around on wobbling legs, meeting the older fawns as the other mothers stood by, half-watching, half-grazing.  
“We need to think of names, my love.” Hircine stated, casting a glance to the pair. The young buck was cream in color, like Kalda, but the little doe was snow white, just like her father.  
“Izla” Kalda breathed, looking to her daughter as she boldly sauntered up to the other female fawn.  
“Keyon.” Hircine added, chuckling as his little son fled from a mother who approached him. Kalda tucked her nose under his chin, licking his nose as she pulled away. He sighed, turning to look at her.  
“We just have one issue now though, love.”  
Kalda looked to him, head tilted to one side, waiting for him to elaborate.  
“You only have three more months with me. Izla and Keyon will not be old enough to be alone at that point.”  
Kalda looked at him, shocked. She had almost forgotten that she was to become human again, and the thought of having to leave not just the twins, but him as well, broke her heart.  
“Well...” She mused, nuzzling Keyon as he pottered over to her, “I guess I’ll just have to stay with you then, won’t I.”  
He chuckled, his nose touching her flank.  
“That’s what I hoped you’d say.”

**Author's Note:**

> I don't even know what this story is.  
> I was very tempted to call it "Oh Deer!".


End file.
